Pod Culture Feed

[FunkEngine]

In culturing Tisbe pods a variety of live phytoplankton is the ideal feedstock. I've also read that it is possible to culture them with crushed pellets as a food source. Is it possible, or perhaps more optimal to feed instead with a phytoplankton paste? Being that these are not for developing fry and instead for a mandarin, the best HUFA stores are not required, but I'd still like to make them as nutritious as I can with prepared and preserved feeds.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Bumping this up for answers. Interesting question

 

[Skydvr]

Pastes should work fine, I've seen other people doing this, I tend to use live because I can keep cultures going instead of buying, but I am considering other methods as the cost may be worth eliminating the hassle.

I prefer live because I am in a small space and don't need to worry about the live phyto setteling out as quickly as a paste or prepared food when the air pump is off over night.

 

[ectoaesthetics]

I am clueless with the pellet questions, but between paste and live, I would go live every time. Although it is harder to keep, it will be a lot easier to keep the culture with live... as it will continue to stay that way (with light) until it is consumed. The paste pretty much starts breaking down and becoming waste in the culture tanks the first day. From there you just keep adding more waste. It is also a lot easier to miss a couple of days of feed when you are dosing live phyto.

 

[FunkEngine]

I am clueless with the pellet questions, but between paste and live, I would go live every time. Although it is harder to keep, it will be a lot easier to keep the culture with live... as it will continue to stay that way (with light) until it is consumed. The paste pretty much starts breaking down and becoming waste in the culture tanks the first day. From there you just keep adding more waste. It is also a lot easier to miss a couple of days of feed when you are dosing live phyto.

I agree that a mixture of strains of live phyto is ideal, and what I would do if I had the space. But I barely have the space for copepod cultures, so its unfortunately not an option for me outside of buying it every few weeks.